Method and apparatus for producing mix-tone roofing



April 16,1935. w. FREEGARD 9 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCNG MIX TONEROOFING Filed Sept. 12, 1 27 s Sheets-Sheet 1 .INVENTOR, I

BY Lu/g ATTORNEYS WITNESSES April 16, 1935'. .w. FREEGARD 8 METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR PRODUdING MIX-TONE ROOFING Filed Sept. 12, 192'? 3Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG; N

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METHOD AND APPARATUS ,FOR PRODUCING MIX-TONE ROOFING Filed Sept; 12,1927 s Sheets-Sheet 5 SAH'IWESSES: I 1.\'I 'EXTOR:

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Patented Apr. 16, 1935 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR rnonucmc MIX-TONEROOFING William Fr'eegard, Elizabeth, N. 1., assignor to The BarberAsphalt Company, Philadelp Pa., a corporation of West VirginiaApplication September 12, 1927, Serial No. 219,114

Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of mix-tone roofings byintermixture of contrasting materials in the roofing surface, andinvolves novel methods of mixing as well as novel ap- It is particularlyadapted to prepared roofings of the grit-surfaced bituminous type.

For some time, pleasing color effects on roofs have been sought bycombinations of grit-surfaced shingles or the like presenting aplurality of different colors. In order to avoid gaudiness, it is foundnecessary to gofurther than the mere employment of shingles of severalcolors: i. e. it is essential that (in general) each shingle present aplurality of colors, and that these colors blend into one another, evenon the individual shingle. Mere uniform intermixture of colors in allshingles does not give sufiicient variety of color: it is necessary thatthe mixture of colors vary over the roof. The only practical way ofsecuring such results, heretofore, has been by making lots or runs ofroofing with difierently-proportioned mixtures of the colors employed,and mingling shingles cut from the different lots in each package. This,however, has required extra operations to mix the different lots ofcolored granulesin the first instance, and to sort the different coloredshingles into the packages afterward,--as well as the complication ofmaking roofing with various different mixtures.

In the manufacture of prepared roofing shingles according to my presentinvention, all such drawbacks and complications are avoided by supplyingdifferent colored granules to one run of roofing in a mixture ofcontinually or frequently varying proportions. This is doneautomatically by my machine hereinafter described. In this way, agradual blending of colors is produced on the roofing sheet, as well asa varying predominance of the different colors in diiferent areas, andcontinuous'streaks of any one color are avoided. And when shingles cutand packaged from the sheet in the usual manner are laid on the roofin-the order in which they come character desired, colored either natu ay 9 artifically, and in the latter case either plain dipped or glazedwith a vitrified glaze. Proper proportions of natural-colored slategranules also give very pleasing effects. In general, they should all beof approximately the same size and general type of fracture.

The roofing sheet may be made on an ordinary composite roofing machine,and may consist of a, rag felt or burlap base suitably saturated andcoated with bitumen.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a somewhat schematic elevation of roofingapparatus suitable for the purposes of my present invention.

Fig. II is a similar view at right angles to Fig. I, from the left ofthat figure.

Fig. III shows a vertical mid-sectional view through a portion of theapparatus, taken as indicated by the line III in Figs. II and IV.

Fig. IV shows a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. DI.

Figs. V and VI are plan views of certain parts of the apparatus shown inFig. III,--Fig. V being taken as indicated by the line V-V,-tin Fig. HI.

Fig. VII shows a vertical section taken as indicated by the line VIIVIIin Fig. VI.

Fig. VIII is a fragmentary plan view of a part shown in Fig. HI, takenas indicated by the line VI]IVIII in Fig. III.

Fig. DI shows a plan view of one of the parts,

taken as indicated by the line IXIX in Fig. III.

In the apparatus here shown, the variously colored surfacing granulesare supplied to the mixer Ill from a series of small hoppers or bins a,b, c, d, e, directly over the mixer. As shown,

the granules of oneof the materials are raised i from a receiving bin orhopper f by a bucketchain elevator g which delivers them through ahopper h to 'a belt conveyor i that dumps them into the bin 0 through ahopper 7'. Colored granules are supplied the bins a, b, d, e, throughchutes k, l, m, n, from separate compartments in storage bins o, p. Fromthe hoppers a, b, c, d, e, the granules are delivered to the mixer l0through chutes q, 1, s, t, 11.. From the mixer ID, the mixed granulesare delivered through chutes v, w, :2: to

., the trough or hopper of a commercial type of spreader 1 whichdistributes the mixture uniformly over the still hot bituminated fabricz travelling beneath the spreader.

The sheet of bituminated fabric after passing beneath the spreader 11travels over rolls 60, usual- 1y provided in coating machines, andexcess slate is removed from the sheet by means of a scraper 6|associated with the lower of the rolls 60. The excess slate falls ontoan endless conveyor 62,-

actuated by a chain 63 in driving connection with a driven shaft 64 fromwhich the mixer I is driven through the medium of a chain 65 and gearing66. The conveyor 62 extends transversely with relation to the sheet anddumps the excess slate into hopper I from which it is transferred to bin0.

As shown in Figs. III and IV, the mixer I0 is supported by a horizontalbracket or top plate I I projecting from a support l2. The chutes q, r,s, t, u, from the supply bins a, b, c, d, e, terminate in outletopenings I3 in the plate I I, these openings being circularly arrangedand equally spaced. A central boss- I5 on the plate I I (suitably bracedby integral radial webs I6) projects below the plate, as well as aboveit, and affords external bearing for a regulating valve disk I 1,located beneath theplate, and resting on a flat ring or flange member I8secured to the boss by screws I9. As shown in Fig. V, the valve disk l1has quadrangular or arcuate openings corresponding to the outletopenings I3 in the plate II, and the eifective outlet openings for thedifferent colored granules can be concurrently adjusted and regulated byturning the valve disk I1 one way or the other, by means of a handle 2|.If desired, the outlet openings I3 may be regulated and variedindividually, by means of radially movable shutter slides 22 set intothe upper surface of the disk I1, and having their bevelled edgesengaged in undercut rabbets on the disk.

Besides the regulation afforded by the valve disk I1 and its slides 22,the relative flow of material from the different outlets I3 is alsocontinually controlled and varied by suitable means, such as a diskrotatably mounted on a stud 23 in the boss I5 of the plate I I. As shownin Fig. VIII, this rotary flow control disk 25 has three openings 26,21, 28,-the last considerably larger than the others, and located about90 from the nearer opening 21. As the disk 25 revolves, these openings26, 21, 28 successively and periodically pass beneath each of the outletopenings I3, so that the diiferent granules are periodically released orallowed to flow in quantities or charges corresponding to the sizes ofthe openings 26, 21, 28 and the length of time required for them to passthe stationary openings.

The varying charges or streams of granules flowing from the supplyopenings I3 under control of the disk 25 are received and collected by aconical hopper 38 mounted directly beneath the disk 25, and here shownas provided with a hub 34 through which extends the lower end of thestud 23. In the present instance, a ball bearing 36 is interposedbetween the hub 34 and a head 35 on the lower end of the stud 23, and asimilar ball bearing 31 is interposed between the rotary flow controldisk 25 and the upper side of the hub, 34. Thus the disk 25 and theconical hopper can rotate freely relative to one another, as well asrelative to the stud 23 and the plate I I. As shown in Figs. III and IX,the conical hopper 30 is divided into a plurality of segmentalcompartments by diaphragm partitions 38,--including a largersubstantially semi-circular compartment 39, and a couple of smallersubstantially quadrant compartments 40, H. The larger compartment 39 hasan axial bottom outlet 42 to which is connected the chute or spout V,while the compartments 40 and 4| have lateral outlets 43, 44 to whichare connected the chutes or spouts w and x.

As shown in-Figs. I, II, and III, the upper rim 33 of the hopper 30 andthe periphery of the flow control disk 25 have gear teeth that mesh withpinions 50 and 5| on an upright drive shaft 52 mounted in a bearing boss53 on the plate I I and in a bearing bracket 54 projecting from thesupport I2. As will be seen from the drawings, the

peripheral gears on the disk 25 and the hopper rim 33 are of different,diameters (the latter slightly smaller than the former,) so that as theshaft 52 revolves, the disk and hopper will be driven at differentspeeds (the disk slightly faster than the hopper). As shown especiallyin Figs. III and IV, the shaft 52 may be driven from a horizontal shaft51 mounted in bearing brackets 58 on the support I2, through bevelledgearing 55, 56.

In the operation of the apparatus, surfacing granules feed by gravityfrom the bins a, b, c, d, e, to the supply openings I3. As each of thevalve disc openings 26, 21, 28 passes beneath each of the openings I3,2. charge or stream of the corresponding granules flows through the discopening into the hopper compartment 39, 4D, or 4| that happens to bebeneath. The size (area) of this granule stream depends on the size ofthe disc opening; being largest for the large opening 28. At eachrevolution of the disc 25, therefore, three charges from each bin a, b,c, d, e, flow into the hopper 30. The duration and frequency of flowdepend on the rate of revolution of the disc 25: for sufiiciently rapidrevolution of the disc, there is a practically continuous but varyingstream of granules from each of the supply openings I3.

From these considerations, alone, it will be apparent that thecomposition of the total flow of granules from the hopper 30 variesfrom'time' to time as the different sized disc openings 26, 21, 28 passbeneath the several supply openings I3.

If the compartmented hopper 30 should remain stationary, or be revolvedat the same rate as the disc 25, its effect on the exact way in whichthe diiferent granules are combined would be constant and of minorimportance so far as the variations in granule stream composition andcolor effects on the roofing sheet are concerned. However, when thishopper 30 revolves at a different rate than the disc 25, it introducesadditional variation; and much greater variety of granule streamcomposition and color eifects become possible.

For with diiferential revolution of disc 25 and hopper 30, the identityof the openings I3 that deliver into any given hopper compartment duringone complete revolution of the hopper will vary, as well as the identityand size of the disc openings 26, 21, 28 through which such deliveryinto a given hopper compartment takes place. Sometimes one or anotherdisc opening 26, 21, or 28 will be located over one or another of thehopper septa 38 a greater or less angular distance in the travel of thehopper; sometimes three, two, one or none of the disc openings willcontinue over the large hopper compartment 39 a whole revolution ormore; sometimes two, one, or none of the disc openings will remain overone or another of the smaller hopper compartments 40, 4| in similar way;and sometimes the number and size of the disc openings over a particularhopper compartment will change during a revolution intermixed by theintermixture of the several granule streams from the hoppercompartments.

' This effect is enhanced by the different arrange- 'ment of the severalhopper spouts v, w, 3:, so that they deliver at different distances fromthe axis of revolution of the hopper 30 and from the cen ter of thespreader hopper,both longitudinally and crosswise of the latter.

Besides the variety and blending of granule colors produced by the mixerID as above indicated,

"there is a further blending due to the temporary accumulation of themixed granules in a pile or pool in the mixer hopper. The larger theaccumulated pool, the greater the blending,,and

- vice-versa.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that thedifferential revolution of disc and hopper greatly increases thevariety,

their angular relations to one another and to the stationary parts areexactly the same. While great variation in this respect is possible, Ihave obtained good results with a cycle corresponding to the passage ofabout seventy-five feet of roofing sheet 2 beneath the spreader y.

' By angular adjustment of the regulating disc H, the total rate of fiowof the granules can be adapted to different linear speeds of the roofingsheet 2 without substantially afiecting the variation in composition ofthe ultimate granule mixture. By adjustment of the various slides 22,the proportions of different granules can be varied and controlledaccording to the color effects desired. Other differences can, ofcourse, be realized by putting the same granules in two or more of thesupply bins a, b, c, d, e, or.vice-versa.

I have not in this application claimed the apparatus for producingmix-tone roofing herein disclosed, since such forms the subject matterof an application for patent filed by me November 19, 1927, SerialNumber 234,308, as a division of this application. c

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing mineral coated roofing including variablycombining granules supplied from supplies of different colors,discharging streams of varying compositions from supplied from suppliesof different colors, discharging from the variably combinedn granulesstreams of continuously varying compositions and having differentlocations, and applying the contents of said streams to roofingmaterial.

4. The method of manipulating mineral coated roofing including variablycombining granules supplied from supplies of different colors,discharging from the-variably combined granules streams of continuouslyvarying compositions and having different varying locations, andapplying the contents of said streams to roofing material.

5. The method of manufacturing mineral coated roofing including formingtemporary batches of continuously varying compositions from granulesfrom supplies of different colors, said batches being of differentcompositions, delivering streams from the respective batches, thestreams having different varying locations, and applying the contents ofsaid streams to roofing material.

6. The method of manufacturing mineral coated roofing including formingtemporary batches of continuously varying compositions from granulesfrom supplies of different colors, said batches being of differentcompositions, delivering streams from the respective batches, thestreams having different continuously varying locations, and applyingthe contents of said streams to roofing material- 7. The method ofmanufacturing mineral coated roofing including forming temporary batchesof continuously varying compositions from granules from supplies ofdifferent colors, said batches being of different compositions,delivering streams from the respective batches, the streams havingdifferent varying locations, the streams being directed upon overlappingareas, whereby admixture of granules from the various streams takesplace, and applying the contents of said streams to roofing material.

8. The method of manufacturing mineral coated roofing includingadvancing a roofing strip, variably combining granules supplied fromsupplies of different colors, discharging streams of varyingcompositions from the'variably combined granules, said streamshavinglocations varying transversely of the direction of motion of the roofingstrip, and applying the contents of said streams to the roofingmaterial.

9. The method of manufacturing mineral coated roofing includingadvancing a roofing strip, variably combining granules supplied fromsupplies of different colors, discharging streams of, varyingcompositions from the variably combined granules, said streams havinglocations varying continuously transversely of the direction of motionof the roofing strip, and applying the contents of said streams tothe-roofing material.

10. The method of manufacturing mineral coated roofing includingintermixing supply streams of contrasting'r'oofing surface granules in aplurality ofcombined streams of continually 'FREEGARD.

